Representatives from the 35 member countries of the IAEA Board of Governors are participating in the crucial quarterly meeting which began on Monday and will last until Friday.
Board discussions are expected to include, among others: nuclear safety, strengthening of the Agency’s technical cooperation activities, verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), Safeguards Implementation Report for 2024 and restoration of the sovereign equality of Member States in the IAEA.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is expected to present a comprehensive report to the Board of Governors, likely focusing on Iran's nuclear program.
Grossi delivered an introductory statement to the meeting and is scheduled to hold a press conference later on Monday.
The Europeans reportedly plan to submit a draft resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors at the meeting, creating a window to trigger the snapback of all UN sanctions on Tehran under a previous 2015 nuclear deal before the mechanism expires in October.
An IAEA resolution could further complicate nuclear talks between Iran and the United States. Tehran has already pledged to take decisive countermeasures should the snapback mechanism be activated.
In its latest report, the IAEA claimed that Iran has sharply increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent, close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons.
In its quarterly report, the agency said that as of May 17, Iran possesses an estimated 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, marking an increase of 133.8 kilograms since the previous report in February.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) issued a joint statement last week, denouncing it as a "political" and unbalanced report by the United Nations nuclear watchdog and said it has been drafted under European pressure.
Press TV